Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think!

Why Is an Argument Clinic
Less Silly than an Abuse
Clinic or a Contradiction
Clinic?

HARRY BRIGHOUSE

Monty Python's Flying Circus drove numerous young people
of my generation into philosophy. Having been driven
into philosophy and stayed, I'm startled to notice how
many references to philosophy in Monty Python have some basis
in the reality of philosophy as a profession. The Bruces'
Philosopher's Song (also known as the Australian Philosophers'
Song), for example, is simultaneously a comment on the incongruity of an Australian accent (regarded by elitist Britons as crass
and un-intellectual) combined with something as serious and highbrow as philosophy, and a tribute to the enormous influence that
Australian philosophers had over English-speaking philosophy at
the time, and still have.

Perhaps most striking of all to a practicing philosopher is the
“Argument Clinic” sketch (Monty Python's Flying Circus, Episode 29,
“The Money Programme”). The customer enters the Argument
Clinic, after a false start with Mr. Barnard in the abuse room:

Print this page

While we understand printed pages are helpful to our users, this limitation is necessary
to help protect our publishers' copyrighted material and prevent its unlawful distribution.
We are sorry for any inconvenience.